ASYMPTOMATIC DISC BULGES

ODDS ARE GREAT THAT YOU HAVE ONE OF THE ABOVE, AND DON'T EVEN KNOW IT

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Allow me to let you in on another one of medicine's dirty little secrets. What would you say if you found out that there is a good chance that you have a Disc Herniation? Oh; you don't have pain? It doesn't matter. Even in the absence of pain (back pain or leg pain), study after study after scientific study reveals that at least 50% of the adult American public is walking around with Disc Herniations that they do not know about ---- because they have no pain. Why does this pertain to you? Read THIS GUEST POST to find out.

I have been intrigued by Inversion Tables since I first saw one in action over twenty five years ago. Although the first Inversion Tables were clunky and expensive, today's tables are lightweight, inexpensive, and for the most part, extremely user friendly. Inversion Therapy is somewhat of a dichotomy. Although hotly disputed by many, it is undoubtedly one of the most popular alternative back pain treatments available today. As with any treatment, Inversion Therapy will not work for everyone. But if you're looking for a non-invasive drug-free way to treat low back pain, and you're curious about inversion therapy, it may help to hear about some of the scientific research on the topic.

1964- Dr. Sheffield: Adaptation of Tilt Table for Lumbar Traction studyThis study consisted of 175 patients with back pain so severe they were unable to work. After eight inversion treatments, 155 of the patients were improved enough to return to work. CONCLUSION: stretching of the back muscles with inversion helped free up the ligaments and relieve the pain.

1978- Dr. Nosse: Inverted Spinal Traction studyThe Nosse study looked at twenty healthy males and found that EMG activity (an indicator of muscle pain) declined by 35 per cent within the first 10 seconds of inversion. The study also found that inversion increases spinal length. CONCLUSION: There is a correlation between a reduction in EMG activity and an increase in spinal length.

1985- Dr. Kane: Effects of Gravity-facilitated Traction on Intravertebral Dimensions of the Lumbar Spine studyIn the Kane study, fifteen normal male subjects were fully inverted for a period of 10 minutes. Comparisons of pre and post inversion measurements proved that gravity-facilitated traction (inversion) produces significant intervertebral separation in the lumbar spine CONCLUSION: Inversion causes a separation of the lumbar vertebrae, showing that it can potentially be an effective modality in the relief of low back pain.

Dr. Dimberg et al: Effects of Gravity-Facilitated Traction of the Lumbar Spine in Persons with Chronic Low Back Pain at the Workplace studyThe Dimberg / Volvo Automotive study evaluated 116 Volvo employees in a randomized controlled trial that lasted for 12 months. Three training groups were studied, and after 12 months, the researchers demonstrated a 33 per cent decrease in sick days from back pain for those who used Inversion Therapy for 10 minutes once or twice a day. CONCLUSION: Inversion Therapy is an efficient and cost-effective way to improve employee health while reducing sick day costs to employers.

MY RECOMMENDATION?

In my opinion, the Ironman 4000 is as good a deal for the money as I have found. As of the time I wrote this, you could still get it for about $200.00 with free shipping. The thing is built like a tank. Instead of a nylon-like material stretched over the frame, the bed is made of plywood, covered with memory foam. On top of that, it is built to accommodate people up to 6' 6'' tall and up to 350 lbs. It is easy to put together, can be stored flat, and is extremely stable.

However, my favorite feature of the Ironman 4000 is the foot piece. Instead of having clips to adjust and mess with around your ankles, it has clamps that are on a ratchet mechanism. The ratchet handle has a button release at the end of a lever that sticks about a foot or so upward from between your feet. This allows you to set and undo your ankle clamps without having to bend very far forward.

However, if money is no object, the Cadillac of Inversion Tables is probably the Master Care Back-a-Traction unit that is imported from Sweden. The real advantages to this unit are the fact that you can lock the inversion position into place so there is near-total stability. The back piece slides up and down just like our SPINAL DECOMPRESSION TABLE, and like our table, you can actually lay face down or face up on these units ---- a huge advantage for many people. Is the Back-A-Traction worth the extra $1,000 bucks over the cost of an Ironman 4000? You would have to decide that for yourself.

There is another Heavy Duty "Commercial" style table in the mix. The massively advertised "Teeter" Company makes a motorized table that comes in several different models. I would have an easier time recommending this unit to more patients if it were made to allow Inversion Therapy to be done in both the face down and face up positions. These motorized units run from around $1,000 to over $2,000 dollars.

The truth is that when I was researching Inversion Tables a few years ago, I decided on an Ironman 4000. I noticed that as far as results were concerned, it did not really matter what brand of table you bought, as long as it fit your height and was strong enough to hold your weight ------ neither the brand nor the price seemed to have much bearing on outcomes. This can be verified by looking at lots of reviews of multiple units on either Amazon's or Mal Wart's websites.

DR. RUSS'S RULES FOR INVERSION:Most of the people I have met who say that Inversion did not help them, were doing it wrong. I have a few simple rules for Inversion that will make your time both pleasant / relaxing and effective. An over-arching principle of Inversion is that less is more. Here in America, we believe that if a little is good, then 10 times more should be ten times as good. As you might imagine, it does not work that way.

Start with only a slight bit of Inversion. If you have any back problems whatsoever, you do not ever need to go below 45 degrees. Do not hang upside down. This is how people mess themselves up on Inversion Tables. Many of my patients report the best results in a position that the head is just below the feet. I call this "hovering".

Start with a minute or two and progress from there. Unless you are hovering, I would not spend more than 10 minutes at a time on the table, although you can get on it multiple times a day.

Your best Inversion results occur when you are pain free. If you have a history of back problems, DO NOT wait until your back flares up to use the table. Do 3-5 minutes a day and help preserve the disc.

POST-DECOMPRESSION INVERSION:For our SPINAL DECOMPRESSION THERAPY PROTOCOLS, I almost always recommend the patient purchase an Inversion Table. Although I do not sell these tables, I can assure you that the good results that people TYPICALLY ACHIEVE on on our Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Program are more likely to continue over the long term if patients are pro-active in their post-Decompression care. Yes, we will give you exercises to do, but keeping the Spinal Discs stretched out and hydrated will go a long ways toward keeping the spine healthy. Two five minute sessions on the Inversion Table a day, at a pitch of less than 45 degrees, along with the proper exercise and nutrition protocol, will help keep the disc healthy once your Spinal Decompression Protocol is through.

SPINAL DECOMPRESSION THERAPYTHE BIG FOUR

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among other things, chiropractors deal with SUBLUXATIONS. Subluxations pertain to vertebrae that are either misaligned or not moving properly in relationship to each other. Uncorrected subluxations, along with injuries, INFLAMMATION, OBESITY, sedentary lifestyles, SCAR TISSUE, etc, can lead to serious and progressively degenerative problems of the spine. Although there are dozens of potential problems that would fit into this broad category, there are four that stand out above the rest. If you have ever had an MRI of your spine, it is quite likely that you have seen one or more of these terms used in the Radiologist's Report.

HERNIATED DISCS: Spinal Discs are made up of layered rings of ligaments called the Annulus Fibrosus. These outer rings are what hold the disc's jelly center (Nucleus Pulposus) in place. If you were to cross-section a Spinal Disc, it would look a lot like the rings of a tree stump. If the innermost layers of the annulus begin to tear, the nucleus begins to "push" its way toward the outside, creating a disc "bulge". When a disc bulge is large enough to press on the spinal cord and / or the spinal nerves, it is called a Disc Herniation or Rupture. If the nucleus leaks outside of the annulus, the problem is much more serious and is usually referred to as a Prolapsed Disc. Be aware that these terms are sometimes used interchangeably.

DEGENERATIVE DISCS: Spinal Discs have no blood supply. This makes cellular "exchange" difficult to say the least. The only way for a disc to get nutrients, water, and oxygen into the disc, and get metabolic waste products out, is to act as its own pump. When the disc moves, it creates a pumping action that moves fluid in and out. Poor movement causes poor exchange. This is why abnormal disc motion causes degeneration (thinning of the disc, bone spurs, calcium deposits), and disc degeneration leads to even worse motion. This process is a vicious cycle. Sometimes this process of degeneration will be referred to as Spondylosis or Degenerative Disc Disease. Although there are outside factors that contribute to this process (smoking for instance), make no mistake ---- Spinal Degeneration is a mechanical process, not a disease. Referring to it as a "disease" is largely a marketing ploy.

SPINAL STENOSIS: The word "stenosis" refers to the constriction of a tube. Spinal Stenosis is the shrinkage of the tube within the spinal column called the Central Canal. The Spinal Cord travels inside the Central Canal. In order to add stability to the spinal column and protect the spinal cord from irritation, the Central Canal is lined with ligaments. Due to old injuries or the normal aging process, these ligaments can hypertrophy (thicken) and "buckle" or "bow" into the Central Canal. As this happens, the Central Canal looses more and more space until it reaches the point where there is constant irritation of the Spinal Cord and / or Spinal Nerves.

FACET SYNDROME: The facets are the four small joints on the back of each vertebrae (two superior facets and two inferior facets). The facets have a rich nerve supply that can cause a great deal of pain when irritated. Just like Spinal Discs, facet joints that fail to move properly over time, wear out. This is usually called Facet Disease or Facet Syndrome.

SCIATICA: Because all of these problems lead to impingement of nerves, the nearly-universal symptom of all these problems is pain. Because these same nerves travel into the arms and legs; irritating them can lead to various problems in the extremities (pain, weakness, pins & needles, numbness, tingling, etc). In the legs, this problem is commonly referred to as sciatica. In the arms, it is usually called "radiculopathy".

WHAT TO DO FOR THESE PROBLEMS

The best thing you can do is to prevent them from happening in the first place. You can help prevent disc problems by following the below advice, before you are diagnosed with "The Big Four".

However, once you find out you have one or more of the "Big Four", everything turns to AVOIDING SURGERY (you already know how poorly they work much of the time), A LIFETIME OF DRUGS, and dangerous / degenerative CORTICOSTEROID INJECTIONS. Covering symptoms is never the solution. You have to actually work toward a solution. The first thing to remember is that you are not going to "cure" any of these problems. In other words, once damage is done, nothing you do is going to make you sixteen years old again. But if you are willing to work at it, there are a number of things that you can do to help yourself with these problems.

CHANGE YOUR DIET: Although this is not difficult to understand, it is not always easy to follow. I suggest that you eat a diet based on WHOLE FOODS. Water keeps the disc hydrated, so drink plenty of water, and learn what it means to CONTROL YOUR BLOOD SUGAR. You also need to understand that allINFLAMMATORY PROCESSES in the body are driven by diet and lifestyle. Healthy Fats are anti-inflammatory; TOO MANY GRAINSandBAD FATS drive inflammation, and the plethora of health problems related to it. Eating this way will also help you LOSE ANY EXCESS WEIGHT you might be carrying --- a real detriment to a healthy spine.

DON'T SMOKE: Everyone knows that SMOKING is bad for your lungs. There is actually quite a bit of medical research proving that it is bad for your spine as well. If you smoke, you starve every cell in your body for OXYGEN. As you might imagine, this is a very bad thing as it prevents healing and promotes decay.

MOVE: I just told you that the only way the Spinal Discs are nourished and hydrated is via joint motion. Regular exercise is critical to put joint motion back into the spine. I also recommend that you strengthen your spine with PLANKS instead of back-destroying situps and crunches. I am not so concerned about what you do exercise-wise (swim, bike, walk, lift weights, Pilates, Zumba), just that you do something on a regular basis. Exercise balls provide an excellent (and simple) way to build stability into your spine as well.

CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS: Although chiropractic is certainly no "cure-all", it helps keep both alignment and motion in the spine. Knowing what you know thus far about the both the NERVE SYSTEMand the primary causes of SPINAL DEGENERATION, periodic adjustments make a lot of sense.

INVERSION: Although I have never sold them myself, I have been a huge fan of INVERSION TABLES since they came out in their current form about 20 years ago. The price has come down to where anyone can afford one, and for smaller people, you should be able to get one for about a hundred bucks. However, for most people I recommend the Ironman 4000. It is what I own, costs $179.00, is built like a tank, and is available at Amazon or Mal Wart. The key to inversion is doing it for a few minutes each day, and not inverting at too steep an angle. Unless you are a 15 year old high school athlete, you have no reason to invert deeper than 45 degrees. Many people do best "hovering" just below parallel (less than 15 degrees).

SPINAL DECOMPRESSION THERAPY:For people with chronic severe back pain caused by one or more of the "Big Four" there is hope for you. Most of you have figured out that SPINAL SURGERY is not something you want to rush into. The outcomes are frequently terrible, and many people end up having to have additional back surgeries to fix the damage caused by the surgery before it. Spinal Decompression Therapy is certainly not the be all, end all, for every case of chronic back problems, but for many people it provides AMAZING RESULTS. Interestingly enough, these results are BACKED BY A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RESEARCH. Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy is a safe, gentle, form of disc therapy that restores function to injured or degenerative Spinal Discs via a computerized logarithmic pull / relax pattern of spinal distraction.

Spinal Decompression -vs- TractionIs There a Difference?

I have been asked numerous times about the difference between Traction and Spinal Decompression. Here is my 5 minute mini-answer as opposed to my “90 minute all-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-Spinal-Decompression-Therapy-but-were-afraid-to-ask” explanation.

Traction?Traditional traction which has been used for decades uses force to pull / stretch on the spine. Simple (i.e. 'cheap') traction tables use a cheap electric winch with an attached rope to accomplish this. Others are more cleverly disguised. No matter how sophisticated the unit may look (bells, whistles, towers, etc), traction machines mechanically pull on the spine in only one direction.

The problem with traction is that it just pulls and pulls and pulls, and after a few minutes your body says “hey, I’m being stretched!” It reacts by tightening up the muscles (aka "guarding" or "splinting"). This prevents the disc spaces from opening, staying open, and healing properly. No manufacturer of spinal traction devices has been able to show before and after MRI’s where traction was able to increase hydration (height) to the disc or reduce the size of a disc herniation.

Spinal Decompression Therapy?Spinal Decompression Therapy is a step beyond traction. Spinal Decompression Units not only pull the spine, they actually "sense" how much force the body is pulling back with, and can decrease the amount of pull when needed. This helps prevent the traction-caused muscle spasms that used to be so prevalent with the type of Spinal Traction used in some doctor's offices.

Our table utilizes a computerized feedback system that senses if your body begins to tighten up. When it does, our Decompression Table automatically backs off. Essentially your body is being tricked into not realizing that it is being "pulled" (Decompressed). Thus, it will not typically cause the back to spasm like Traction Tables frequently do. That is why before and after comparison MRI’s of Decompression patients have actually shown objective improvements in disc hydration, reduction of disc bulges, and reduced nerve impingement (sciatic leg pain). You will see this in the following video

BE WARNED:Spinal Decompression Therapy has become very popular due to the fact that it works! This technology has spared many people from DANGEROUS SPINAL SURGERIES. Because of this, many manufacturers and doctors have jumped on the "get-rich-quick" bandwagon.

Many of these so called “Spinal Decompression” units are just traction machines that have gone through a makeover to refit them with a lot of pseudo-technology. You know; colored lights, computer screens, digital readouts ----- all of the pretty bells, and whistles. Machines that half a dozen years ago were called “traction” units, have magically been re-branded as “Decompression Machines”. Roller Tables are now “Decompression Tables.” Even the simple devices that allow you to hang in various states of inversion are no longer “Inversion Tables” but are now “Decompression" devices. It’s relentless!

None of these machines use computerized feedback. None of them have research behind them proving they work to effectively reverse disc herniations. I am a huge believer in using technology that is backed by research!

Traction -vs- Spinal Decompression Therapy is fairly easy to understand. When you think of traction, think of William Wallace about to be "stretched" (drawn & quartered) at the end of the movie Braveheart. When you think of Spinal Decompression Therapy, think Schierling Chiropractic, LLC. We have the research and and PATIENT TESTIMONIALS that prove Spinal Decompression Therapy helps large numbers of people!

Nearly 25 years ago, renowned Chiropractic Radiologist Terry Yochum, DC, DACBR, FCCR, FICC of the Rocky Mountain Chiropractic Radiological Center co-authored the definitive radiology textbook still being used in virtually all chiropractic schools (ESSENTIALS IN SKELETAL RADIOLOGY). I used the first edition of the book back in 1988. In fact, this book is so impressive that several medical schools have used this text book as well.

Listen as Dr. Yochum describes the pre and post MRI findings of a fellow chiropractor who had sought his advice concerning a severely herniated disc. By the way, I personally know some of the people involved in this (I studied under Dr. Michael Barry ---- Dr. Yochum's associate).

Dr. Schierling completed four years of Kansas State University's five-year Nutrition / Exercise Physiology Program before deciding on a career in Chiropractic. He graduated from Logan Chiropractic College in 1991, and has run a busy clinic in Mountain View, Missouri ever since. He and his wife Amy have four children (three daughters and a son).